At World's End

Well,I've been spending the past couple of months working on seminary stuff, and doing a lot of behind the scenes work for this (something BIG), but I thought current events warranted me taking some time out to write an entry.

By now, pretty much every one knows there's a group of people out there saying the world will end today. Some have sold their homes, and used their life savings trying to spread the world about this imminent apocalypse. This happens every few years (will again next year), and always has. Those that teach such things forget the very important teaching of Jesus from Matthew 24:36:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Not even Jesus knows when the end will be. Only God. Why does anyone think some guy with a magic formula can figure it out? Does he have a closer relationship to God than Jesus? No. He does not. We do not know when the end will come.

I address this because I feel shutting down such talk is extremely important. Talking about the end of the world is a distraction. We should not be worrying about when the end of the world will come, but instead focusing on saving the lost souls of this world during the time we have. We need to remember that today people are suffering, today people are hurt, today people are lost, and today people need to know the love of Jesus. When we become overly focused on tomorrow we forget about those needs of today.

Debating when the end of the world will be is simply not worth debating. It will come at a time none of us know. Even if it were today, which is highly unlikely, it would only be a coincidence. Even if it were today I'd rather spend my day spreading the love of Jesus rather than scaring people into thinking the end is nigh. We shouldn't try to scare people into coming to Jesus. We should show them his love. Pushing some idea about the end of the world only causes harm.

So, some may want to stock up on supplies, make plans for their left behind pets, or be prophets of doom. As for me, I will continue to work to spread the love of Christ to a lost and dying world, and should the end of the world come today, tomorrow, or thousands of years from now I will always hold to the faith that has taught me to help the hurting person today, and not to worry about tomorrow.

Doing something

I have a confession to make about a way I am that actually can make life a bit difficult for me in times. It’s something few know about me, and hard to explain, but I’ll try.

There’s a lot that bothers me about my country. I love America, and I love being American, but there are certain aspects of this country that make me feel suffocated on a regular basis. The rampant materialism, the screwed up moral standards the media tries to teach us, the confusion of needs and wants, the selfishness, and so many other things. I hate it, and sometimes hate myself because I see myself as part of the problem. It’s part of what tries to motivate me away from the ministry. I simply don’t want to be here surrounded by all this stuff a lot of the time. I want to go away, and live free of all of it so that it doesn’t taint me, or taint those I love.

There’s a major reason I don’t do this, and it’s the lesson of this entry. I’m not meant to. God did not make me aware of all the problems in my society so that I could run away from them. God doesn’t run, and neither should His servants. He gave me eyes to see this stuff so I could work to overcome it. America is capable of so much good, and it’s the responsibility of those who serve the Lord to try and make sure it does more good than evil.

This isn’t something unique to me, or to my country. People across this world can see problems in this fallen place, and our instinct can be to get as far away from those problems as we can. To run. To protect ourselves and those we love from such things. That is not right. That is not why God gave us eyes to see with.

We are to shine as a light in dark places, and remember that Jesus has overcome the world. We are called to do something about the fallen world, and to save others from it. We are not called to protect ourselves. We are called to spread the Gospel, help those in need, and fight these problems. Whether that problem is corruption in society, or homeless people living in the streets we are called to bring an end to such things. We are supposed to do something about it. We are called to change it. It may be harder than running, but that’s okay. We have God on our side, and He already overcame all this stuff on the cross. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Where there is faith

As I’ve discussed in a few recent entries, things didn’t go exactly according to my plan after I came back from Korea. My wife and I spent more time out of work than I’d hoped, I had to start seminary online because of the uncertainty concerning where I would be moving, and aliens abducted my dog. Well, maybe that last one didn’t happen, but the others did.

This could have been a reason to be upset with my commitment to stop running away since running away was for more profitable than going on the right path. I admit that there were times I got confused, but I always did one thing right. I went to God about it. When I did He reminded me that I may have been without any idea where life would take me, but that was okay. There was nothing to be scared about. I had faith. Where there is faith there is nothing to fear.

This is something we should all remember. When the conditions of our lives get us down we should remind ourselves of the words found in Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The things we hope for have substance. Life may tell us we can’t do something. Faith tells us we can. The things we see may tell us its hopeless, but as long as there is a God in heaven there is always hope. We can always have faith, and turn that faith into action. If we have faith we won’t let our own lack of self-confidence keep us from applying for that job we know we’re perfect for. God has faith in us, and we should have faith in ourselves. If we have faith we won’t be afraid when something threatens our finances. We can trust God with it. If we have faith we don’t need to be afraid of taking a chance, speaking up for what’s right, or serving among the lowest people in our society. Where there is faith there is nothing to fear.

Help Japan

I want to take a break from my usual entries to address what's going on in Japan. There is a terrible devastation in that country, and some nuclear power plants are threatening to make sure the devastation may get worse. Let's all pray that it doesn't. Remember, no matter where you are one thing you can do to help is to pray. The Bible tells us that we should respond to suffering with immediate prayer.

Pray that people in danger will get out of harms way. Pray that those who need to be rescued will be, and that people can recover from injuries. Pray that God will comfort those in need of comfort today, tomorrow, and every day of their lives. There are many ways to help Japan. Asking God to help is one big way. Ask big. Pray for miracles. Pray that God will give miraculous healing, and will use his unlimited power to keep anyone else from being hurt. Pray that he will use us to be the miracles to save those who need saving, to feed those who need food, and to get water to those who need water.

There are countless other ways to help, and I am aware that some aren't sure how to. I'll provide some advice here, and tell you some options.

Giving money is a big way to help. I'd recommend samaritanspurse.org. It's a great Christian organization that is actively working to help.

Also, I'd recommend going to this page being ran by Northside Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC. This is a great church I used to attend where one of their lead pastors, Travis Agnew, is gathering information related to ways people can help. Travis is a great guy, and what he says can be trusted. Keep an eye on this page.

Another good way is to give online to Elevation Church (elevationchurch.com) . They are also in the process of seeking who is best equipped to help, and they are giving their entire outreach budget from this past weekend offering to the relief efforts in Japan.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Red Cross. I've worked with them in the past, and the Red Cross is a great organization truly dedicated to helping those in need. Not only can you give them money, but blood, time, and many other things. They offer training, and can teach anyone how to help respond to such disasters in a number of ways.

There are countless more ways to help. Many unconsidered things. They are running out of coffins and body bags. If anyone knows any way to help with that then help. People need food and water. Find out ways to make sure they get it. We can help combat this devastation. We can obey the commands of Jesus, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

This disaster has caused considerable darkness, and our God has called us to be the light. Represent Jesus, and help. Pray. Do what you can. Don't hold back. Shine as a light.

UPDATE: I've found some new ways to help. I'll keep posting them here as I find them, and I encourage all others to do the same. Please let me know if you find out about some way to help that is great. People in Japan need it.

A great way for Iphone, Ipod Touch, and Ipad owners to help. There is a current sale going on in the App Store for Street Fighter IV and all the Sonic the Hedgehog games. Every cent made from the sale of these games over this time is going to relief efforts in Japan. Already have those games? Then why not just donate the money you would have spent on them anyway?

Saddleback Church has an easy way to give that goes directly to people who are trained to provide aid in disaster relief. Additionally, you can set up for funds to come out of your account on a regular basis to help with this effort.

Paypal has set up an easy way to use a paypal account to donate. Very simple, and an easy way to help.

Ign.com is having a charity event where they'll be staying up 24 hours, and playing a slew of games from Mario 3 to Resident Evil 4 all in effort to raise money for relief efforts in Japan. An original effort, and all proceeds go to the Red Cross. It starts at 3pm on America's west coast.

Life Church is partnering with Convoy of Hope, a great organization that has people in the ground bringing food and other supplies to those impacted by the tsunami. Both websites have ways you can help.

Baptist Global Response is another website gathering information on how to help, and that is actively helping in Japan. Can make donations on the website, or follow links to other ways to help.

The International Mission Board has also begun relief efforts in the area, and you can make donations to help them in their good work on their website.

Cast out your Nets

My wife recently got a daycare job in Charlotte, NC. This took us to a place we wanted to be, where we know we can serve in great churches, but I have to admit something. I wasn’t exceedingly happy about the way God was bringing us back to Charlotte.

My wife and I have worked in childcare before. We’ve done it in Charlotte. The result of that was nothing. It’s part of what motivated me to go to Korea, and to try to fix things my own way. When we came back we knew God had amazing plans for us. Then this job came along. Just like what we were doing before.

I admit it. I didn’t get it at first. Part of me was frustrated, and upset. We’d done this before, and nothing had come out of it. It didn’t move us forward. It just kept us surviving. Going back to what appeared to be the same thing just irritated me. It really irritated me. At one point, I sat in my car, and talked to God about it. Not in a calm tone, but with some anger in my voice. I was really confused, and asked him a lot of questions.

Did this mean we were wrong to come back from Korea? Could I not trust myself? I didn’t know. Not until God pointed me to one of my favorite passages of scripture.
I’ve written about this scripture before, but not in this way. It’s from the account of the call of Peter. The verses are Luke 5:4-6:

“When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.’ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”

Suddenly, I got it. Maybe my wife and I had done this before, and maybe nothing came out of it last time. That didn’t matter, and it doesn't matter. Jesus was telling us to try again. At his word we must. I can trust Jesus, and obey him in this. I can know that it will lead to a massive catch.

I reveal all this because I know some have experienced this same thing. Maybe Jesus is calling you to do something, and you don’t get it. You’ve tried this before, and it didn’t work. You’ve tried reconciling with that person before, and they slammed the door in your face. You’ve been going to that same job every day, and it’s never led anywhere. You’ve tried that ministry before, and it failed. You don’t know why Jesus would call you to do it again. You just can’t logically understand it.

The beauty of this is that we don’t have to understand. We just have to cast out our nets. Maybe we’ve toiled all night, and caught nothing. That doesn’t matter. At the word of Jesus we should be willing to go out into the deep, and cast out our nets. We should obey because he knows more than we know. We should cast out our nets, and prepare for the massive catch that is coming our way.

Nothing to a little something

I know there are some who have turned from the ways of this world, and have put their trust in God. Many who do so are quickly met with success when they choose to follow the Lord down the path He’s set before them. Others, however, may be met with some opposition. Some turn from the wrong path, go in the direction the Lord has called them in, and for a time it seems like maybe nothing is happening.

What are we to do then? What should we do? Should we reevaluate, and consider maybe God didn’t call us to this path because things should happen faster and easier if He did? Should we give up, and turn to a different path? These are legitimate questions, and I know them because they are ones I have asked myself. I have learned something from this, and I hope to use it to make the journey somewhat easier for those who are in a similar place.

When I’ve thought about giving up God has turned me to a certain account in scripture. It’s found in 1 Kings, and about Elijah. At the time of this account Elijah had just stood up for God against a large number of false prophets, and said God could make it rain. There’d been a drought over the land for seven years, and Elijah had committed some mighty acts (calling down fire from heaven to destroy the false prophets for one thing), and people were now listening to him. He said it would rain. He’d told the king it would.

Time passed, however, and there was no rain. Not a drop. Look at 1 Kings 18:42-43:

“And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look toward the sea.’ So he went up and looked, and said, ‘There is nothing.’ And seven times he said, ‘Go again.”

Seven times there was nothing. Elijah had trusted the Lord, and there was nothing. Some have been there, or are there right now. We’ve trusted the Lord, but there is nothing. So far it looks like nothing has changed. In such times we need to follow the example of Elijah, and keep looking. We need to keep trying, and keep trusting in the Lord. We may have to look many times, but we can’t stop. Elijah didn’t stop, and this is what happened in verse 44:

“Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, ‘There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!”

Elijah had his servant keep looking, and eventually there was something. Something small. This is what can happen to us. After being patient with the Lord, and looking many times we can get the faintest glimmer of hope that things will start to move forward. It may not be much. It may be small. We may not even want to trust it at first, but don’t be deceived. What starts small can become large. Verse 45 tells us:

“Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.”

That cloud the size of a fist became black clouds. It became a heavy rain. So can the cloud the size of a fist in our lives. You may not even be at the point where you can see this cloud, this glimmer of hope, but I urge you to not give up. Keep looking as many times as you need to, and keep trusting in the Lord. Keep the faith. It may be a while, but eventually things will move forward. There may only be a small sign that things will finally move forward, but trust in that small sign. Trust in the cloud the size of fist. It can grow. It can cause a heavy rain in our lives.

Trust in the Lord

I wanted to take some time to address some personal things some readers may be wondering about. Remember that I was inspired to start this blog while in Korea, and I’d learned a lot about mistakes I made. I tried to teach a lot, and I returned from Korea to finally follow the calling the Lord had given me.

Well, I’ve been back from Korea a few months, and some may wonder what’s going on. I’m not going to pretend that I came back, and Rick Warren was there at the airport to offer me a job. That would have been cool (And if you ever see this, Rick Warren, hey, working for you would be awesome), but it’s not what happened. Currently I am staying with some in-laws in the middle of nowhere in order to make it. Ashley and I have applied to lots of jobs, both in the church and outside of it, but nothing concrete has happened yet. I have, however, started seminary, and am moving away from the indecisiveness of my past.

Some may hear this, and think it means I was wrong. I’ve failed. I’m discouraged. That’s wrong. I may not like my current state of unemployment, but I am overjoyed with the relationship I currently share with the Lord. For the first time in my life I am putting my full trust in Him, and I know He won’t let me down. Money, the American employment system, and place will not stop me from serving Him. Nothing will stop me from trusting Him.

Do I know what the future holds? No. I don’t have to. I serve a God who knows that. He’s gotten me this far, and I know He’s going to lead me to a ministry that will bring many lost people of this world to Him. Even in this current position I’m in I know He’s guiding me. If I or Ashley gets some great job in a church I know He guided us there. If we get some job in a school, a business, the military, a park, or anywhere I know He guided us there. Even if it comes to me and Ashley having to go overseas again I know he guided us there. We accomplished a lot of good things we needed to in coming back, and if we had to leave again it would be for good, and not for evil. It would be so we could fulfill the calling He’s given to us, and not to run away as before. I may not know what’s going to happen right now, but I know I can trust Him.

I reveal all this because I know there are other people in this world who have put their trust in the Lord, and are still not sure where He’s leading them. Don’t get discouraged. Keep following Him. Keep trusting Him. He will never lead you astray.

UPDATE: The day after I wrote this Ashley got a job in Charlotte. We are now actively serving at Elevation Church, and continuing to walk toward where the Lord wants us to be. There are also some amazing opportunities in our way that I don’t want to mention too early. But they are awesome.

God is always faithful.

What honors God

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

This ancient Psalm shows how far back a primary confusion about the nature of God goes back. When we come to Him we sometimes consider the things we need to give up, or sacrifice, of primary importance to God. In Old Testament days we needed to sacrifice some sort of animal, and now we need to give up money, relationships, and some things we consider fun for God. God makes it clear over and over again, however, that sacrifice is not what He desires from us; it’s thanks.

Further back in this same Psalm God elaborates on why it is sacrifices don’t have as large of an impact on him as thanks. Verse 12 says:

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”

God doesn’t need our stuff. It’s already His. The sacrifices we make were never because God needed it. The sacrifices have always been about our need. We need God, but we are fallen. In our fallen state we are unable to relate to our perfect God, and therefore we make sacrifices to make it possible. Unfortunately, we cannot make it possible. God had to come to us as He did with Abraham, and God had to make the sacrifice with the life of Jesus Christ so that we could be redeemed. God made the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. We need to be thankful.

The sacrifice that truly honors the Lord is keeping to His path. Following what He’s taught us, and living according to His will is how we honor Him. We praise Him by living how He’s taught us to live. Not by giving up stuff. He doesn’t need that. It’s already His anyway. Instead we should use the things He’s blessed us with as tools to help us in our walk with Him. We can use our money as a blessing to others, our knowledge to save, and our strength to lift up those who are weak. We can shine as examples for Jesus Christ. We can be a light in dark places. We can give God the glory for everything, and in that we truly honor Him.

No Can't

I hear the word can’t a lot. Someone can’t forgive another for what they did, can’t afford to give the tithe they want to, can’t leave their job to pursue God’s calling for them, or can’t eat 30 hotdogs in one sitting (well, maybe I haven’t heard that last one). For much of the world these can’t phrases are fine. For those of us who are saved, however, they are worthless.

If we are saved we should believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I can do all things. There is no exception to that. No can’t. Can’t should not be a word in a Christian’s vocabulary. We can do all things because the Holy Spirit that resides within us can do all things. Saying we can’t do it is saying God can’t do it. That would be a lie. God can do it, and so can we. We can have the faith to stop saying can’t.

Cast out can’t as a word of use. Recognize the power of the Lord. Know that He can. So can you. It may be hard to forgive someone who’s betrayed you, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. It may be hard to trust the Lord with your money, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. You can succeed in what He’s called you to do. You can overcome your insecurities. You can defeat whatever and whoever it is that tries to stop you. You can trust in the Lord, praise His name, and do all things. I can. You can. We all can.

The Word

Read the Bible. We’re told this a lot. I’m just not certain it’s clear to everyone why this is important because so few people do it. If we would, however, we would understand, for the scriptures can have a transforming power over our lives. Furthermore, having a scriptural foundation can help us stay calm, focused, and right in a number of situations.

Let me try to explain how this works.

I can think about the things I want to do, and sometimes feel incapable. I can feel like I can’t do it. When I feel that way I only need to consider the words of Philippians 4:13 to feel confident again:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

These words make me confident again. If I didn’t know the scriptures that wouldn’t work. The scriptures can help out through many other types of situations.

Feel like you don’t know what you should do in life? Consider Matthew 6:33, which states “Put first the kingdom of God, and all these things will provided to you.”

Worried God won’t take care of you if you do the things He’s called you to do? Consider Jeremiah 29:11, which states “for I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Feeling jealous when someone else gets special treatment and you don’t? Remember the story of the prodigal son, and how the older brother acted that same way, and only got to miss the party because he did.

These are just a few examples. There are so many ways scripture can help us in our daily lives. Common verses and obscure verses can do us much good, and God can speak to us through the words He gave us in His book.

If you want God to speak to you in your situation then let Him speak to you with the words already laid down for us. If you want to know what’s okay, what’s wrong, what’s great, how to act in certain situations, and how to focus on God turn to His word. Keep the scriptures in your heart, and they will transform your life. These words have power. Embrace the power. Read the word.

The Meanness of Niceness

There is a popular account in Mark 2:1-12 about a time four men broke through the roof of a house to get their crippled friend to Jesus. There were large crowds, and many obstacles (including a roof), but these men would not be stopped. They had to get their friend to Jesus. They broke through a roof to get him there. Why? Because they understand their friends desperate need for Jesus. A need he didn’t just have because He was crippled, but because he was human. This is something too many of us forget today.

Our society today teaches us to be nice. We shouldn’t witness because that isn’t nice. We shouldn’t say that accepting Jesus is the only way to be saved because that isn’t nice. We should accept all things as good so all people can believe they are good. As Christians we have become weak, and afraid to defend the truth. Part of the reason for this is most of us have friends or family who are not saved, and we don’t want to admit they’ll go to hell if we don’t do anything about it. We don’t think about it, pretend it’s not true, and when someone dies we know never accepted Jesus we pretend they get to spend eternity with Him. It’s nice to think this. It’s nice not to offend. It’s also stupid.

Being nice is stupid. I don’t know of a better way to say it. This niceness we allow to exist is actually a deadly tool created by Satan to keep us from witnessing to the truth. We all need Jesus. By sitting back and pretending otherwise we aren’t being nice. We’re being extremely mean. We are deciding that it’s better not to offend someone than to save them. We’d rather let someone go to hell than speak up. We pretend things are okay when we know they’re not. We have a crippled friend, but we don’t get how important it is that we get that friend to Jesus. We instead convince ourselves our friend really isn’t crippled. Does this help? Does this save our friend? Of course it doesn't. We hurt those we love this way. We aren’t helping those we love at all by pretending a sin isn’t a sin just because we don’t want them to go to hell.

I feel like I need to make this clear. This whole idea that there are other ways or one can go to heaven because they’re a good person is not a nice idea. It’s a dangerous idea, and one used by Satan to convince us there is no real need to witness. We need to cast off this lie, and understand the true urgency of the matter. We can’t allow our own laziness to condemn those around us, or let anyone lie to themselves anymore. We might as well look at someone who can’t walk when we do this, and pretend they can walk. Don’t let anyone think it’s nice to believe everyone goes to heaven. It’s not nice. This lie does those who can be reached a disservice.

If we love others we won’t pretend their sin is okay because we don’t want them to go to hell. We won’t condemn them, but we also won’t let them be condemned by this nice lie. If we want to help them we’ll admit the truth to ourselves, and try to make sure they see the truth before it’s too late. We’ll be like the friend of the crippled man, and admit the need for Jesus. We’ll work hard to get those we know who are figuratively crippled by their rejection of the truth to Jesus. We’ll cast down the fake good thoughts. They only harm. Honesty is far more helpful than being nice. We must admit that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. We must be concerned and grieved by those who will suffer because they won’t accept that truth. We must know that truth, and speak it. Speak it loud. Speak it proud. Be bold. Be honest.

We must remember what four men with a crippled friend understood. All people need Jesus. Being nice wouldn’t have gotten their friend healed, and forgiven of his sins. They had to get their friend to Jesus because only Jesus could heal him. If we love our friends and family we need to work hard to get them to Jesus. We need to stop being nice, and start being honest. We need to cast down lies, and lift up the truth.

Wait for the Good

I don’t think anyone will deny that a large part of the world now rejects the idea of marriage. It’s called archaic, outdated, and old-fashioned. Many who have been married ended up divorced, and no longer trust it. Many have been impacted by marriages falling apart, and don’t want to deal with such things. A lot has caused this rejection.

The thing about this is that in the vast majority of cases what is really being rejected is the idea of marriage that doesn’t reflect what God created marriage to be. The idea is that two virgins get married, and are only ever with each other. The problems started to arise when we got impatient, and didn’t want to follow this design. We started having sex before marriage. We started moving in together. This singular thing made it that when we got married it didn’t have that special quality we always imagined. This was our fault, but we were blinded by that. We blamed other things, and usually our spouses. We got divorced, had sex with some people before marriage again, and somehow thought that trying the exact same thing would make things end different. When a formula doesn’t work it should be rejected, and yet we stay loyal to the plan that leads to failed marriages.

Well, that’s not entirely true. Eventually we realize this doesn’t work, and we remain blind. Being blind we can’t see that our sexual immorality is what brought marriage down. We can’t see that, and instead choose to blame marriage itself. We choose to just have sex when we want with who we want, live with them when it feels nice, and move out when it all falls apart. We think we’re sophisticated for this rejection of marriage, but that just shows how blind we are. What we’ve actually done is tainted a beautiful thing, and threw it out after we got it dirty.

This is not how it should be. We should understand the problems, and realize that marriage will not be right until we do it right. We should wait to have sex. We should not live with someone we aren’t married to. Sounds like missing out on fun, but it’s just the opposite. By doing these things outside of marriage we rob ourselves of the amazing thing marriage really can be. Marriage is sacred. Once we realize that is when we can fix it. Once we learn to keep the things that were only meant for marriage out of our lives until marriage we’ll find that marriage is something worth the effort. It really can be amazing, but only if we don’t keep destroying it. Sure, not everyone who does it right will have a great marriage, and not everyone who does it wrong will have a terrible one, but I guarantee that those who do it right have a much higher chance of having a wonderful marriage that last forever. Wait for the good. It’s worth it.

We are not too Good. They are not too Bad.

There have been times in the past I’ve done wrong. I’ve felt called to serve in a certain way, help a certain type of people, or do a certain thing for God. While I haven’t always refused to do what He asks I often have a terrible instinct. If God calls me to do something that would get my filthy, or to help some people of a lower class a thought from Satan tries to creep into my head. I’m too good for that. I am not meant to get dirty by going in the mud to build a house. I am not meant to soil myself by being in the presence of the homeless. That’s for lesser people; people not as good as me.

I say this because I know this type of thinking is not unique. I know that, especially in a country like America, this way of thinking is common. We are taught from the moment we’re born just how good we are, and it’s true. We are good, or at least capable of much good. We can be filled with pride without realizing it, and this thought can keep us from serving God in the many remarkable ways He wants us to.

This way of thinking is wrong. It reflects the thinking of the older brother who wouldn’t forgive his brother in the prodigal son story. It is the thinking of the Pharisees who wondered why Jesus ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. It is commonly shown as wrong in the scriptures. This way of thinking judges ourselves as good, and as others as too bad for us to be around. It gets us to forget that we only possess any goodness because Jesus came and died for all us bad people. I believe God has given me an excellent phrase that helps combat this type of thinking:

We are not too good. They are not too bad.

That’s right. We’re not. We are not too good to go to countries with less wealth than America, or to be in the presence of sinners. Poor people are not too bad for us to help. Sinners are not too bad to need the redemption we can offer them through Jesus. We are not too good to present it to them. We are not too good. They are not too bad.

When God calls you to do something, to help someone, or to serve Him in some way, and arrogance tries to stop you remember this phrase. We are not too good. They are not too bad. I am not too good. No one is too bad. I am not above serving God in whatever way He calls me to. If Jesus can strip down and wash the feet of His disciples I can also humble myself. All of us can. We are not too good. They are not too bad.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Most of us who have spent a significant amount of time in church have heard the parable of the rich fool before. For those who haven’t heard it so often I’ll try to keep it brief. In this parable found in Luke 12 Jesus teaches us about a man who had a surplus of crop that he didn’t know what to do with. He thought about it, and decided this in verses 18-19:

“I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”

This is called the parable of the rich fool because God wasn’t a fan of that idea. Verses 20-21 show us why:

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Good parable. Easy to understand. Easy to agree with. Easy to call this man a fool. Not easy, however, to admit that what He did is exactly what most of us do, and are taught to do our entire lives. Culture teaches us our wealth should be used to buy the latest Apple product, or to get that car that parallel parks itself. It teaches us that we need that stuff to be a more complete person. Our storehouses are our bank accounts, our homes, our game systems, our smart phones, and our computers. It’s foolish to pour our wealth into such things.

Don’t be selfish. Don’t be stupid enough to think that God gave you riches so you could sit on your butt, and keep it all to yourself. God was good to you so you could be good to others. Any of us who were lucky enough to be born in America are able to do so much because of the great ways we’ve been blessed. Despite this many of us act like this rich fool, and only consider ourselves.

How many of us say we want to tithe, but don’t because we just need a little more money to do so? How many of us make a ton of money, and use it to buy ourselves a better car, bigger house, or to invest so we can make even more? Using our money to eat, drink, and be merry is the American way. We cannot criticize this rich fool, for we act just like him. We keep our riches to ourselves, and keep them from the Lord. This can and should change.

If you have excuses to keep from tithing stop fooling yourself. If you get over one excuse Satan can always provide you with a thousand more excuses. Don’t think that it is somehow right to pad your bank account while some people in different corners of the world don’t even have clean water to drink. Much has been given to us, and we can do immeasurably more with our wealth than we could ever ask or imagine if we trust it to God. If we would stop being selfish, and stop using our wealth for what we think we need to make ourselves happy we will find there is more joy to be had in being rich toward the Lord. We can stop being rich fools, and start being good stewards.

1 vs. 450

Doing what’s right isn’t always easy. There are times that standing up for God will mean standing alone against a mountain of opposition. The media of this country is often outraged by what the Bible teaches us is right, and has infected the minds of many against the truth. We know there will be immense pressure for us to change our ways if we stand up for what’s right. It would be much easier if we conceded, and accepted the status quo.

Elijah dealt with this way back in 1 Kings. At this time many of those in Israel had turned from God, and instead worshipped the Baal’s. Even those who did stay loyal to God not were unwilling to stand up and declare that God is Lord, for they feared how they might be persecuted. It caused Elijah to make this statement in 1 Kings 18:22:

“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; for Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.”

Elijah was alone, and yet He didn’t back down. Elijah was alone, but He remained steadfast. Elijah was alone, and yet He stood up for the Lord. Elijah did this because He understood the truth. There may have been 450 prophets of a false God opposing him, but He had one real God on His side. It may not have looked like it, but Elijah had the upper hand. That became clear when God consumed those false prophets later in the passage, and Elijah had a great victory.

If you are 1 vs. 450. 1 vs. 5, or 1 vs. a million you have the upper hand if you stand up for the Lord. Many people may say that it is wrong for us to claim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and one can only come to God through Him. Many may say it is wrong for us to claim only our religion is right. Many may say that it is old and outdated for us to think a person should wait until marriage to have sex. Many may call us fools for committing our lives to an ancient religion.

None of that matters. What many claim is nothing compared to what one God says. The many that oppose us have no power compared to the one God who is for us. Do not fear when they call you stupid, offensive, or wrong. Don’t hide in the shadows, and not let anyone know what it is you believe. Stand up for the truth as Elijah did, and know that God is with you. What God is with no one can stand against. What God has created no one can destroy. Stand alone if you must, but stand. God will always be on your side.

So Drama

There is something I’ve noticed in many of the churches I’ve attended that has made me uncomfortable. It’s during a point in the service when someone, maybe the worship leader or preacher, wants to heighten the drama. They sometimes do this by saying a prayer where the words are used to lead into a song, or to start back into another song. It’s supposed to be dramatic. I think it’s wrong. Don’t use God for your drama.

Prayer is amazing. Being able to know, speak to, and have a relationship with the living God of the universe is a great blessing. When we use our relationship with God to heighten drama, however, we don’t honor Him. We cheapen our relationship with Him. We make it little more than a tool for us to use when we want.

God does not let us speak to Him so we can make our worship songs more moving. God did not give us prayer so we could abuse it for our drama. He gave us prayer, and introduced Himself to us so we could be transformed into a new person saved by grace. He did not do it so we could be dramatic.

At the Well: One Lost Person

This story ends in a powerful way in John 4:39-41:

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word.”

What this shows is the amazing impact witnessing to one lost sinner can have. Many of the Samaritans came to believe because one sinful woman was witnessed to, and she witnessed to others. Jesus did not judge this woman, did not condemn her, and did not refuse to speak to her. He addressed her, forgave her, and offered her salvation. Through this singular act many came to believe in the truth.

We should never turn our backs on one lost person. We should never think anyone is too depraved to be saved, or they’re not worth saving. Jesus reached out to one sinful woman, and countless people were saved as a result. Countless more could be saved if we would witness to just one. Just one person can transform the world.

We should look for such people in our lives, and witness to them as Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well. We never know what our witness could accomplish through them. Even if we only save them it is enough. The heavens rejoice when one lost person is found.

At the Well: Unexpected Sources

Why did the woman leave her waterpot? Where did she go? John 4:28-30 tells us:

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city, and they came to Him.”

The woman left her waterpot because she went to go tell others about Jesus. This woman who just earlier in this same day had been the sinning woman who had five husbands, was now living with a man who was not her husband, and had to go to the well on her own because she was such a social outcast was now the witness to the grace of Jesus Christ.

It is unlikely that any of these Samaritan men thought this woman would be the witness that would bring the good news of Jesus Christ to their land, but that’s what happened. The woman witnesses. She is an unexpected source, but she is listened to. The men go to see Jesus because of her.

We may be sinners. There may be people around us who know the ways we’ve stumbled, and we may fear what they can say about us if we ever confess the name of Jesus. We must not let that stop us. Jesus used this woman as an unexpected source, and He can also use us. He can use those around us we have always known to be great sinners. We should not be afraid to listen to unexpected sources of wisdom in our day.

Jesus can use us to witness to His power no matter the depraved state we were in before we knew Him. How evil we were before we knew Him demonstrates His power, for when we’ve changed as this woman did it shows just how good Jesus is. He can turn us sinners into good. He can transform us. He can witness through all of us.

At the Well: Waterpots

The starting words of the next verse are perhaps the most impactful of this entire story. They show the reaction of the woman to all Jesus has told her about himself. She doesn’t need to tell us if she’s accepted the truth. These starting words are in John 4:28:

“The woman than left her waterpot,”

They may not seem like much, but these words are like an explosion. They’re huge. The woman went to the well because she was thirsty, and then she left her waterpot. How could she do this? It was more than just her being forgetful. The woman got what Jesus taught her.

The truth so touched the woman she forgot her need for water because the love of Jesus so filled her. That really is amazing, and shows what the truth can do to a person. When we finally accept the grace Jesus Christ offers us we can forget all these other things we use to fill ourselves up. We won’t need to constantly find a new person to have sex with, for we’ll find that grace fills us more than those hollow relationships ever could. We won’t need to always find new ways to acquire money, for Jesus can make us more rich than wealth ever could. We won’t always need to buy new video games when we accept Jesus can offer us so much more than created experiences ever can. We can leave these things when we bow down to the throne of righteousness, and accept that what we really need to be filled with is the living water offered to us by Jesus Christ.

The woman left her waterpot. What do we need to leave? We can leave it, for Jesus can make us never go thirsty again. We can abandon our sin. We can overcome it. We can continue to have things like money, video games, and sex (with our spouses), but we can live free of the chains such things can put on us. We can realize we don’t need to turn to such things to be filled. The only thing that can really fill us, and leave us full is Jesus. We can leave our waterpots. We can be filled with Him.

At the Well: For the Helpless

Up to this point Jesus was alone with the woman at the well. John 4:27 shows what happens when the disciples return to Him:

“And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?”

The disciples judged. That’s what it means that they marveled. Not that they were amazed with Him. Instead they wondered why He, a Jewish rabbi, was lowering himself to talk to some lowly Samaritan woman. They judged her as unworthy of His time. This is a good example of a time the disciples teach an important lesson by doing something stupid.

They should not have judged, and yet they did. So do we in such times. When someone confesses the name of Jesus we often feel anger toward them because we get offended for others. When they break through social taboos to share the gospel, as Jesus did here, we are more concerned with the rules they break than with the truth they share. When we consider witnessing or reaching out to others in the name of Christ we often ignore the needs of those who are homeless, drug addicts, or consumed by perversion because we are better than that. We are too good to witness to such people. We are above them, and would have to lower ourselves to be in their presence.

This ought not to be. If we must lower ourselves then we should. The homeless person under the bridge deserves the chance to hear Jesus as much as the rich guy in the gated community. We are not called to share the gospel with only certain types of people. All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. All need to be redeemed. We shouldn’t refuse to go on a mission trip to Africa because we might get a little dirty. It is wrong to leave a pregnant teenage girl to fend for herself when she’s been thrown out of the house because of the mistakes she’s made. We are called to help the helpless, and to love the unlovable.

That’s the example Jesus set when He witnessed to a fallen Samaritan woman. We should never judge as the disciples did when we see others loving the unlovable as Jesus taught them to. We should join in. We represent Christ, and we should be like Him. Look beyond your own social circles, and see there’s a whole world out there that needs salvation. Get down, and get dirty to make sure others can know Jesus. Humble yourself. Help the helpless. Love the unlovable. Share the love of Jesus.